Turkey's CHP faces internal turmoil as leaders criticize dismissals and hint at a new party

CHP Istanbul MP Zeynel Emre denounced the recent removal of 26 provincial party officials, calling the move antidemocratic and urging the Supreme Court to intervene. He said the dismissed leaders have done nothing illegal and warned that the party’s legal challenges, including a court‑issued "absolute nullity" decision, threaten its cohesion. Emre also reported that voter surveys show over 90% of CHP supporters back the leadership of group chairman Özgür Özel and would back a new party if the CHP were rendered ineffective.

Group chairman Özgür Özel, travelling to Kastamonu as part of a nationwide tour, met with forest‑village residents, highlighting their economic hardships, aging workforce, and out‑migration. He criticised the ruling AKP’s policies toward the forest sector and alleged that the judiciary is being used to suppress the CHP. Özel reiterated that the party continues its grassroots outreach despite what he described as a political campaign to hinder it, and indicated that discussions are underway about forming a new political formation under his leadership if the CHP cannot be revived.